ISSUE #40
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Hello and welcome back to an all-new installment of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH brought to you by GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
Happy New Year, friends! We hope the holiday season was full of light, life, and relaxation for you all. We are so excited to be back in full swing on all things GRFS. This past week, we hosted a Bruce Lee double header with our matinee screening of ENTER THE DRAGON followed by the Michigan premiere of the new documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE. Both events also featured a GRFS exclusive video interview with Micheal Worth, the producer behind Enter the Clones of Bruce. Thank you to all who attended and helped us ring in what we know will be a very exciting 2024.
We have a packed week coming up for you all. First, on THURSDAY (1/18), we are hosting another FILM SOCIETY PITCH NIGHT. For those who missed our first Pitch Night back in October, this free social event gives local independent filmmakers an opportunity to pitch their concepts for upcoming projects to an audience of potential supporters and/or collaborators. While all of our spots to pitch this time around have been reserved, there is still plenty of space in our audience. Join us and see what exciting films will be coming out of Grand Rapids soon.
Then, on SATURDAY (1/20), we’re excited to screen Stanley Kubrick’s “masterpiece of modern horror,” THE SHINING. The dead of winter just feels like the perfect time to play this one, right? Beat the cold this weekend with a Kubrick heater!
SUNDAY (1/21) AFTERNOON, our friends at CHIAROSCURO INTERNATIONAL FILM SERIES are back and kicking off their 2024 season with THE QUIET GIRL. If you love foreign cinema, don’t miss this FREE screening.
And finally, one week from today, on MONDAY (1/22), we are hosting our first ever GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING. We want to hear from YOU, Grand Rapids! What kind of events/screenings are you looking for from us this year? How can we best serve the GR film community? Let us know your feedback at this free social event next week!
But before any of that, we have this newsletter...our big 40th issue! We’d planned on this first newsletter of the new year being our “Best of 2023” special. We quickly discovered that we wanted to go beyond talking about just the movies released in 2023 — there are already so many great lists out there that will go through the many excellent new releases from last year (such as this video countdown from David Ehrlich). Instead, we decided to explore the best cinematic experiences we all had in 2023, whether the films themselves were released in 2023 or not.
So, without further ado, we present...
DAVID BLAKESLEE:
With my memory bolstered by a glance or two at my Letterbox diary and year-in-review stats, here’s a rundown of four highlights from my favorite film watching experiences of 2023. For the purposes of this list, I’m going to exclude events sponsored by GRFS, as I’ve already written about most of them at various points along the way in earlier editions of this newsletter. So here goes...
FAVORITE POPULAR MAINSTREAM NEW RELEASE THEATRE EVENT: Barbie
I’ll have to go with Barbie on this one, even though Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Asteroid City all left very strong and positive impressions. The sheer exuberance, joy, and delight that I picked up from the totally on-board audience that night watching Greta Gerwig’s film really won me over — and, of the four titles mentioned, Barbie was the one I knew the least about what to expect going in. I had no clue about the 2001: A Space Odyssey homage that opened it up, and that “aha!” moment was simply exhilarating, setting me up for a thoroughly fun time over the next two hours. I left the screening feeling utterly impressed at the perfect execution of so many scenes and the flawless manner in which Gerwig is able to connect with audience segments that approached the film from such a variety of perspectives.
FAVORITE BIG-SCREEN REVIST: Speed Racer
The Wachowskis’ Speed Racer (2008) as a Tuesday night special at Wealthy Theatre was an incredible experience. I have been a massive fan of this one since its original release, seeing it twice during its initial 2008 run in the IMAX environment that, at the time, felt criminally empty given the indisputable greatness that saturated practically every frame of this exalted cinematic masterpiece. Although Wealthy Theatre’s screen can’t quite compete with the majestic spread we enjoy up at Celebration North, the audience engagement in 2023 was full-throttle — more than making up for the reduced dimensions to create a non-stop adrenaline rush and facilitating my thorough immersion into the movie’s eye-poppin’ neon color palette. Lock me in for a return trip the next time it’s booked!
FAVORITE HOME VIEWING RESEARCH PROJECT: The Ranown Westerns Collection
In July, I received a complimentary review copy of a 10-disc combo 4K/Blu-ray set from the Criterion Collection titled “The Ranown Westerns: Five Films Directed by Budd Boetticher.” This is a collection of briskly told B-movies released at the end of the 1950s, each starring Randolph Scott, a cowboy movie legend nearing the end of an illustrious career, that have earned a bit of a cult following over the years. They occupy a space between the classic westerns of directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, and Anthony Mann and grittier variations on genre themes shot in subsequent decades by directors like Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood. Director Boetticher’s personal history is also rather fascinating, and the set features a wealth of supplements that won my admiration for the guy. The assignment of providing credible and informative reviews to justify Criterion’s generosity helped sharpen my focus and motivated me to give each film close scrutiny, and fortunately for me, I found them all highly enjoyable and engaging. My reviews took the form of TikTok clips that you can check out at this link if you want to know more.
FAVORITE PODCAST RECORDING EXPERIENCE
A tough choice here since they’re all pretty special to me in their own way. I always get a lot of satisfaction from watching the movie, taking in all the supplements, reading various reviews and literature and critical discourse about the film under discussion, and then — best of all — recording a conversation with friends who bring their own smart, informed takes into the mix. But if I have to pick one, I’ll go with an episode of my Criterion Reflections podcast that focused on the groundbreaking Black director Melvin Van Peebles, specifically his filmed adaptation of his own Broadway musical Don’t Play Us Cheap (1972). One reason this stood out to me is that I had a first-time guest named Aaron Strand, an actor and filmmaker who has his own podcast (Behind the Slate) for which he did a much more extensive look at the entire career of Van Peebles. I discovered Aaron through a series about the filmmaker he did on TikTok, and we had an excellent, lively discussion on the topic of Blaxploitation cinema that did our best to give Van Peebles all the credit he deserves for being a singularly innovative and brilliant creator whose work opened doors for many African-American directors following the breakout (and unprecedented) success of his most famous film, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song (1971).
CALEB DILLON:
My favorite memories from Wealthy Theatre screenings in 2023? Hey, thanks for asking! Here’s a few standouts...
The Lighthouse (Jan. 10th)
The night that 307 (!!!) absolute maniacs showed up for The Lighthouse. A packed house with a responsive crowd really propels this film into the comedy stratosphere for which it was intended. Looking back on my notes, I’m reminded that the pre-show playlist was nothing but an hour of seagull sounds, and the signature cocktail apparently included both kerosene and turpentine? Seems legit.
Super Mario Bros (Jan. 17th)
That time we set up three Nintendo console stations in the lobby for a screening of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. fiasco, er, film. The sound of multiple old-school classic games being played all at once was music to an 80s kid’s ears.
Twin Peaks Day (Feb. 24th)
The first Twin Peaks Day screening (but not the last!) featuring two iconic episodes on the big screen. This is one of those events that was such an amazing idea it made me wish I was just a Wealthy Theatre fan.
They Live (May 9th)
They Live screening sponsored by GRTV as part of Media Literacy Week. Had a blast replacing all of our outdoor posters and lobby graphics with the recognizable signage from the film: “OBEY”, “CONSUME”, etc; as well as “BUY MORE POPCORN” and “POPCORN IS YOUR GOD”.
Tampopo (May 15th)
Being introduced to one of my favorite discoveries of the year and an instant all-time favorite: Tampopo. So good I had to watch it three times in one week...thanks Lauren and GRFS!
Good Burger (June 6th)
Parking the “Patty Matters” food truck outside for our screening of Good Burger. Again, if I was just a patron and saw this advertised I’d be foaming at the mouth with excitement.
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Aug. 11th)
Our special screening of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure — oft-cited as my personal all-time favorite film — to grieve the loss and celebrate the life of the genius that was Paul Reubens. Nick Hartman is forever my hero for putting together an hour-long pre-show of incredible clips that spanned Paul/Pee-Wee’s wild career.
After Hours (Sept. 5th)
Getting the chance to introduce — or reacquaint — folks to the brilliance of Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. One of the most underseen and overlooked films of not just Marty’s career but the 1980s as a whole, and a truly unhinged first-watch experience.
Possession (Oct. 4th)
Speaking of unhinged: Possession on the big screen!! A film I would happily wrap around myself like an immense shawl and die inside (don’t worry, I’m fine). My favorite moment took place after the screening when I asked Rapidian Program Director Allison Donahue for her thoughts, and she remarked with a chipper “I liked it! That was my first horror film!” And then my brain melted.
It’s A Wonderful Life (Dec. 17th)
One of my all-time favorite Letterboxd* reviews, from our 16mm screening of It’s A Wonderful Life courtesy of Jake Wiegand who apparently sat near some very rowdy audience members, which closes with: “Why does every screening I take my girlfriend to at this great theater have to be hell on earth? God only knows. Makes me wish I was never born!”
*For everyone following, reviewing, and commenting on the WT Letterboxd — y’all are the best.
There truly are so many other great memories from this last year, but in closing I’d like to thank everyone for showing up (early), dressing up, trying my weird cocktails, keeping an open mind, and just generally being PUMPED ABOUT CINEMA! I may act grumpy, bitter, cynical, and sarcastic in person (and I am all of those things), but I also really sincerely appreciate every single one of you. Here’s to a kick-ass 2024!
SPENCER EVERHART:
THE BEST FILMS OF 2023 (THAT NEED THE ATTENTION)
I’ll start by sharing my “Discoveries” list first, a collection of the best new-to-me/first watches I experienced last year — https://boxd.it/rorrA (biggest revelation there was probably Speed Racer which felt simultaneously like an exhilarating leap into cinema’s future we have yet to catch up with and a trip to the past when Hollywood, in 2008, could have chosen a path forged by the Wachowskis but instead headed down the route paved via Nolan/Favreau).
Yes, I also loved (for the most part) many of the 2023 films being talked about as the finest of the year and placing on year-end lists, so I figured I’d highlight what seem to me undeservedly underseen and/or overlooked works — with more substantial thoughts on one in particular...
Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt)
For this very newsletter, we did an entire symposium issue dedicated to her work, and when I revisited the majority of her wonderful movies this past spring in the lead-up to her latest it only reinforced my already deeply-held belief that, without a doubt, Kelly Reichardt is an American treasure. Over the course of nearly three decades and eight feature films, her immense talent is — at this point — undeniable, and she has established herself as a remarkably consistent voice in independent cinema.
Among her many strengths as a filmmaker, Reichardt possesses a rare ability for image composition and rich soundscapes, crafting atmospheres that draw us in to guide our attention to observe details and elements that most other writer/directors overlook (it’s fitting that the opening credits of Showing Up has her camera examining the colorful contours of watercolors, preliminary sketches for sculptures that are not the finished artworks themselves but still express their own kind of beauty).
It’s often remarked upon that Reichardt’s movies are slow, and — sure — they do move at a more leisurely pace than the vast majority of commercial narrative films. But I think a crucial aspect of her approach to consider, more than speed, is rhythm. Her stories are always carefully attuned to the anxieties of the characters and their specific contexts, and if you look back through all her individual works you can very easily see the logic that drives the rhythm of their worlds.
This is not generally the kind of cinematic craft that is championed by ‘Greatest of All Time’ lists or held up as a standard for how a ‘master’ director would do it; there is no evidently virtuosic style, no big sweeping gestures, nor grand ambitions. It’s much humbler filmmaking. Of course, this is not random — we should remember this is a woman who, by her own admission, faced gendered gatekeeping in the industry and struggled for twelve years to get a second feature film made after her first.
Whether or not bigger budgets and more resources would change her process is just a hypothetical. As it stands, Reichardt has taken things in stride and maintained. She’s carved out her own space for her own style and her own form of expression, and the world of film is all the better for that. We could use more like her, honestly.
Showing Up fits right into her history with frequent collaborators: it is her sixth collaboration with writer Jon Raymond, her fifth with cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt (who also shot Todd Haynes’ May December), and her fourth with Michelle Williams; she also once again serves as her own editor, which she has done on all of her movies since her debut film.
With this latest project, she is focusing on the world of art and artists. In typical Reichardt fashion, though, Showing Up is not like other movies about art; it doesn’t romanticize artists or indulge in big ideas of artistic inspiration or the nature of artmaking itself. It’s much more about the literal craft of artmaking: the actual work of it, the labor of creativity (and the compromises too) — all that goes into the everyday process of being someone who devotes their time and energy to producing artworks.
If you are an artist yourself, or if you have any kind of creative outlet, I’m sure you will at least relate to the idea she explores here of a very common struggle: the struggle of simply finding the time. That particular rhythm of a life where you try to balance the things you want to do...with the things you must do...and how the line between the two gets blurry.
Kelly Reichardt has described this in an interview, saying: “The idea was to show the process—how artmaking is like eating and sleeping for some people. The daily rituals, routine, and labour that goes into making work, whether there’s an audience or not. It’s somewhat about artmaking as an extension of life—not separate from your friends, your day job, your sense of humour, or whatever else.” The writer/director locates a specific and subtle rhythm in this film which captures that dynamic exceptionally well through concrete yet expressive details — the same way she has throughout her entire career.
Her eloquent cinema can be minimal and gentle (even delicate at times), but it never lacks for force...even if that force sneaks up on you later, sometimes long after the credits have rolled. While discussing the ending of Showing Up, critic Adam Nayman explains how the quietly sublime climax evokes “the melancholic contradiction that when you finally put something you care about into the world, it’s truly gone forever.” Absolutely true, but this filmmaker also understands the beauty at the heart of that melancholy: the wisdom in knowing that just because it’s gone doesn’t mean it’s lost, and that an artist never knows what their creation will mean to someone else when they share that work with others — letting it go, setting it free...just as Reichardt herself has given us this modest miracle of a movie.
Here are a few more...
The Curse (Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie)
Skinamarink (Kyle Edward Ball)
Shin Ultraman (Shinji Higuchi)
Shin Kamen Rider (Hideaki Anno)
Enys Men (Mark Jenkin)
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber)
Check out our exclusive interview with some of the filmmakers here.
The Boogeyman (Rob Savage)
MATT EVERITT:
At some point, every movie on this list has been — for at least a day — what I thought was the #1 movie of the year. I feel the deepest gratitude that amidst so much shit flying around lately, we are able to get such a diverse range of theatrical experiences from brilliant filmmakers working at the height of their powers.
There was a fascinating thread that emerged through these films: they all feel like those pet/human pairings that make the matrix glitch out a little bit. The material and stylistic execution of these films brings out the strengths of their filmmakers in ways that rarely happen once a year, let alone in five perfect distillations of what make these artists so colossal.
I never feel like my words do justice to how I feel about any film, so my blurbs on each film will be a pet/human pair that distills my experience. Credit goes to the amazing photographer Gerrard Gethings for the images.
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, I GIVE YOU...
Michael Mann with Ferrari
The weary yet unblinking eyes. The heavy weight of perfection bearing down on their shoulders. The sleek exterior with a world-worn interior. If you understand Michael Mann, you'll understand Ferrari. If you understand Ferrari, you'll get what this cat is all about.
Wes Anderson with Asteroid City
Cats shouldn’t have mustaches. But this one does, and it works. Films shouldn’t have a documentary inside a TV show broadcasting a stage play that the documentary is about. But this one does...and it works.
Christopher Nolan with Oppenheimer
The determined eyes and unflappable subject amidst the chaos, questioning their role in creating said chaos.
Hayao Miyazaki with The Boy and The Heron
If I had the ability to explain why this feels accurate I’d probably be misunderstanding the film.
Martin Scorsese with Killers of the Flower Moon
It’s confession time, and this dog is all ears to hear your confession of complicity in watching a film about the horror inflicted on the Osage, yet they’re looking to the heavens in wonder as they witness the Osage’s strength and defiance to not be defined by their tragedy.
JACKSON EZINGA:
BEST (DIRECTORS) OF 2023
There were three movies I saw in 2023 that I enjoyed so much that I watched the directors’ previous works for the first time (which I also very much enjoyed!). For my Best of 2023 list, I’ll list the director, their 2023 release, and their previous films that I was inspired to watch last year.
Todd Haynes
2023 — May December
There are a lot of hot and cold takes about this film that Netflix bought and distributed last year. May December is about an actress (Natalie Portman) who visits a married couple tarnished by scandal (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) to observe and study them for an upcoming film about the beginning of their relationship that made headlines 20 years earlier. The film plays out full of the melodrama you would expect from this couple’s ripped-from-the-tabloids history, but Haynes is able to walk a tightrope of finding the devastating emotional core of these scenes that some critics have labeled “camp.” It has some of the best performances I saw last year, so it’s interesting that the SAG Awards have completely shut the cast out of the running this year (maybe it has something to do with what it implies about actors?).
1995 — Safe
I was completely hypnotized by this film! Every frame is so meticulously crafted, every performance spot-on, and it’s truly heartbreaking when viewed through the lens of an openly gay director responding to the AIDS epidemic. I watched it alone a few days after May December and then watched it again the next day with my partner. A true masterpiece!
Kristoffer Borgli
2023 — Dream Scenario
So I actually saw this after I saw the next film on the list (Sick of Myself) and throughout the film kept thinking “this feels like Sick of Myself” (in a good way!). I didn’t even check who the director was when I got my ticket — I just wanted to see the new, weird Nicolas Cage movie. Borgli uses his unique brand of absurdism and gets an all-timer of a performance out of Nicolas Cage is this satire on contemporary fame.
2022 — Sick of Myself
Like I mentioned above, this movie has a similar feel and explores similar themes as Dream Scenario, but I highly recommend it if you caught Dream Scenario and dug it. Kristine Kujath Thorp gives a hell of a performance playing a character so desperate for fame and attention that she’ll do anything to achieve it. The path she decides to take is dark, but the places and situations she finds herself in are equally absurd and darkly hilarious.
2021 — Eer
A short film (that you can view for free on Vimeo) which also aligns thematically and stylistically with the feature films above. A great introduction to Borgli’s style!
Sebastian Silva
2023 — Rotting in the Sun
As I’ve written several times last year, Sebastian Silva has recently become one of my favorite directors. His latest film is a lo-fi comedy/thriller that is impossible to write about without spoiling it, but it starts with Silva (playing himself) going to a gay nudist resort and meeting an overly confident — and extremely annoying — Instagram influencer (Jordan Firstman, also playing himself) that sets off a chain of events that changes both of their lives forever. Silva is a master of creating tension through his scene structures and character work that I can imagine would fall completely flat in the hands of other directors. While I do highly recommend this film, it might not be the best introduction to Silva’s body of work because of its meta references to his other work and himself as a filmmaker. I would recommend either of his following films that were both released 10 years ago (along with pretty much any other film he’s made!)...
2013 — Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus
I included this film in my “Best Movies You’ve Never Seen” list in Beam Issue #39, but it’s worth mentioning again (and I saw it for the first time last year). To quote myself: “Michael Cera delivers a car crash of a performance playing a character so awful that you just can’t look away, and the titular Crystal Fairy (played exquisitely by Gabby Hoffman) makes you think twice about judging the archetype that she portrays.” I was inspired to watch this after seeing Rotting In The Sun, and it’s become an all-time favorite!
2013 — Magic Magic
With this film and Crystal Fairy, it’s been fascinating watching Silva write and direct Michael Cera. I don’t think I’ve seen him play characters as downright detestable as in Crystal Fairy and Magic Magic. This is another high-anxiety social thriller that does so much with so little. It’s a slow burn, but it becomes an inferno by the end. Get on the Silva train!
ERIK HOWARD:
It all started with a phone call. That classic beeping ringtone from a coiled-cord landline, picked up by none other than Drew Barrymore. The low voice on the other end of the phone speaking through a smile with a simple question: “Hello, who is this?” Luckily, Drew does what every normal person would do — hangs up the phone. Done and dusted, what a weird call.
Until it rings again.
That second call, an alluring call from someone who seems honest in wanting to apologize for a wrong number, is offset by the immediate visual shift to a dutch angle of Drew entertaining the mystery caller once again. There’s something unsettling about being home alone indulging a call from a stranger, but Roger L. Jackson’s low, raspy voice — capable of a hint of softness — is just far too disarming. We sit there listening to a conversation bordering on flirtatious as the two go on and on about their favorite movies, all while not even knowing who they’re speaking to...which, conveniently enough, is how the turn comes: “I wanna know who I’m speaking to because I want to know who I’m looking at.”
The rest? Well, the rest is what completes the greatest opening scene of any horror movie I’ve seen in my life. Twelve minutes of pure palpable tension, blood curdling screams, and an introduction to the black-clad knife-wielding Ghostface. As someone who has always been playing catch-up on iconic films that span generations, Scream (1996) had always fallen to the wayside as I learned more of the historical productions and influence that icons like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger left on filmmakers and audiences alike. So after an amazing viewing of 1982’s Friday the 13th Part III in 3D at Wealthy Theatre last October, I knew it was time to make my way through an iconic series two days later...after I watched Twilight (again) and Saw X in between.
For those who are even later to the party than I am, the Scream franchise was born out of a genius screenwriter named Kevin Williamson, who had fallen down on his luck after selling his first feature which would eventually become 1999’s Teaching Mrs. Tingle after nearly six years sitting on the shelf. After an inspirational watch of ABC’s Turning Point documentary on the absolutely horrifying “Gainesville Ripper,” Williamson got to work writing what would originally be named Scary Movie. The unique twist was that Williamson wanted a truly horrific situation to be buried amidst high schoolers who knew exactly what was coming. They’d know all the tropes from all the horror movies which existed in this universe, creating a cast that was hilariously self-aware but also proactive in dealing with the chaotic situation they find themselves in.
After Williamson’s first script was ready, followed by two five-page treatments for sequels (he was that confident!), he was prepared to revive and revitalize the slasher genre which had at that time become disrespected since sequels had diluted the legacy of iconic originals. After a heavily-contested bidding war from multiple studios who were ready to buy into the novice screenwriter, Bob Weinstein eventually won, and the search for a director went on. From Quentin Tarantino to Sam Raimi, many directors were considered to helm what Weinstein considered a comedy, but within Miramax there was a strong desire to get this script in the hands of the horror icon Wes Craven. Craven, the father of 1984’s Nightmare on Elm Street, could see what Williamson was trying to achieve through meta-horror and signed on to the film. Craven would go on to direct the first four films in the franchise, with only Scream 3 (2000) not being written by Williamson before the 2022 reboot. The two became a horror-comedy power couple — all centered around the iconic Ghostface.
What exactly makes Ghostface a horror icon? Without spoiling any details, Ghostface isn’t quite the faceless horror character type that tend to become iconic. For every Robert Englund there is also Michael Myers who is mostly identifiable by how tall he is in any particular installment. Ghostface, however, separates itself from the pantheon by being an idea rather than an individual's actions. Ghostface is something anyone can don the mantle of — regardless of whether or not you possess Jackson’s voice. Ghostface is human, savage, creative, and psychotic.
The attitude and behavior of the character is reinforced by Williamson’s central message in his screenplays: “Movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative.” It immediately establishes the idea that Ghostface is always evolving, never once using the same strategy or methods of madness. The world around Ghostface may change and evolve with the times, yet the humanity of Ghostface will always force it to change. If anything, this unyielding center of control for the character is what keeps Ghostface relevant as the films cross generational divides. From a landline phone to eventually name dropping Twitter in 2011’s Scream 4, there’s no era where that long white mask won’t be donned by a movie-obsessed psycho who saw Sidney Prescott litter one time...they’ll find any reason to murder her.
While Sidney is in all of the movies except for one (hey, even she gets tired of this shit), the franchise is built on the backs of an iconic recurring cast of Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers as well as David Arquette as the forever-lovable Dewey Riley. But it’s equally founded on incredible side characters and even one-offs, from a young Matthew Lillard, to the bad-boy-with-an-edge Skeet Ulrich, to even Jack Quaid who has no right fitting into this franchise as well as he did in the 2022 entry. As I binged the entire series, I realized I was truly connected to the Scream characters and history. I was rooting for them, dropping my jaw as Ghostface would close in, and...I cried. Not gonna say WHY I cried, but I did. If you know...you know.
Of course, it’s a franchise that had its heyday when Williamson and Craven were together for 1, 2, and 4, but it still carried a decent torch all the way up to 2023’s Scream VI. It pains me to know that the franchise is likely to go into a long hibernation as the seventh film has self-destructed by production company Spyglass’ own doing; it might have met its best possible end for a long time. As Ghostface said themself when Jenna Ortega answered the phone for a new generation of horror in 2022: “Sidney’s in every movie but the last one,” and in almost a meta-prophetic way akin to the inception of the character — that may be the end of Craven and Williamson’s meta-horror legend.
LAUREN PATCHETT:
“Theres’s only trouble and desire...”
In 2023, I made it my mission to get some heavy hitters off of my watchlist. Things you wouldn’t believe I hadn’t seen yet; if you’re curious enough to see what I may be talking about, feel free to consult my Letterboxd diary.
But — in my assignment to look back on the year and reflect on what films would qualify as my favorites, I found myself wanting to talk about a few that I seem to always talk about. Instead of doing that, I thought I would talk about one that endeared me to it instantly after watching it on a whim.
Simple Men (Hal Hartley, 1992) was featured on a Criterion Channel program in the month of September. The collection was a 30-film retrospective of Hal Hartley’s work. I had never seen any of his movies, so I picked one at random and began.
The movie opens with a small gang of crooks holding a security guard at gunpoint. The ensuing dialogue and its delivery had me believing this would be a movie about TV actors in a crime drama. But as I waited for an onscreen director to appear, or maybe a shot of the crew, it never came. As soon as the next scene began, I started to rethink what I had perceived.
The dialogue continues this way for the whole movie.
It’s a sort of cut-and-paste style reminding me a lot of the way Dale Cooper talks in Twin Peaks. User Marcissus on Letterboxd worded it perfectly when they said “the way characters talk in this is like how parrots talk, with command of language but with something vital missing in there somewhere, like one of those animatronic bears that gives you coins for notes at a slot machine place.” It's weird, it’s surreal, and to me — it’s also hysterical.
In this style, a strange story is told.
Two brothers unite after finding out their once-famous baseball player father (now turned anarchist) has escaped from the hospital — evading the law and the consequences of his protest style. Bill, the eldest, is one of the crooks from the first scene; recently dumped, he’s looking to skip town. The news of his father’s escape means nothing to him. The younger brother, Denis, has left college (where he studies philosophy), intent on locating their dad. He is hoping to come to terms with what his father truly is: a criminal...or an activist.
They leave together, though with very different intentions for their journey.
On a janky motorcycle, they ride until they are stranded in a small town. There, with the help of a couple leading ladies, they begin to uncover information about their father and about themselves. The dialogue alone makes this complex story very endearing and funny. Due to this, combined with some strange shots and lighting choices, at times it truly feels like a student film.
One reason I love this movie (as I love one of my all-time favorites Tampopo) is that it also incorporates the most random vignettes. Characters and scenes that are shown in a setting that will become more relevant as the movie goes on, but are also not necessary to the plot. A couple examples include: a gas station attendant who has no work to do starts playing his electric guitar, pre-set-up outside the station...and a Sonic Youth dance break after a supporting character screams “I CAN’T STAND THE QUIET!”
I could wax poetic about the strange ways this movie feels very philosophical, but instead of doing that, I will close out with a quote from the movie that showcases that aspect best:
“Love, affection, consideration, these things are myths invented in a torture chamber...a torture chamber in hell. What do we know about another person anyway? They have their own needs and wants. Their own passionate and perverse dreams. Falling in love is like sticking an ice pick in your forehead, but we keep doing it. We hurt ourselves into the cauldron of passion. The bottomless pit of desire.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, I would surely recommend this movie. Watch it alone while in a good mood, ready to go with wherever this movie takes you...or screen it with friends and laugh at the absurdity of it together. That is the feeling I’m going into 2024 with.
GRIFFIN SHERIDAN:
UPCOMING EVENTS
WHAT: An extension of our FILM SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE social events —Up to 10 local filmmakers will have the opportunity to pitch their concepts to an audience of potential collaborators and supporters.
WHEN: Thursday, January 18th, 7:00pm (Doors: 6:30pm — arrive early to mingle!)
WHERE: Koning Micro-Cinema @ Wealthy Theatre
[FREE EVENT, JOIN THE AUDIENCE!]
WHAT: A winter-time screening of Kubrick’s “masterpiece of modern horror,” starring Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall.
WHEN: Saturday, January 20th, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
THE QUIET GIRL (Presented by CHIAROSCURO INTERNATIONAL FILM SERIES)
WHAT: A nine-year-old girl from a dysfunctional family goes to live with distant relatives for the summer. Living with a middle-aged farm couple, she discovers a new way of living. (Screening followed by discussion and reception.)
WHEN: Sunday, January 21st, 2:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
WHAT: We want to hear from YOU, Grand Rapids! Do you have an idea for us? A recommendation for a film you'd like to see on the big screen? Are you interested in volunteering at our events, etc.? If so, please join us!
WHEN: Monday, January 22nd, 6:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
AAFF 61: TOURING EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
WHAT: Two programs featuring the best experimental works from last year’s Ann Arbor Film Festival.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25th, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every MONDAY, and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS.
Plus, join us on social media! We’d love to chat with everyone and hear YOUR OWN thoughts on everything above (you can also hop in the comments section below).
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Look for ISSUE #41 in your inbox on NEXT MONDAY, 01/22!
Until then, friends...
